Pipe bender



Dec. 31, 1929. H. E. HARVEY 1,741,935

' PIPE BENDER Filed May 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY 140W WTORNEYS A H. E. HARVEY Dec. 31, 1929.

PIPE BENDER Filed May 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Y Patented ec. 31, TQZQ UNITED STATES ante-at PATENT OFFICE HARRY E. HARVEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO STEEL AND TUBES, INC., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO PIPE BENDER Application filed May 26, 1926. Serial No. 111,807.

This invention relates to the art of bending pipe and the like and is more particularly directed to an improved means for holding and moving the pipe through a bending apparatus.

An object of this invention is to provide a holder for pipe into which the pipe may be readily inserted and from which it may be readily extracted.

Another object is to provide a gripping means which will grip the pipe firmly and not crush nor mar the same.

Another object is to provide a combined bending roll and article holding means.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from the description of one practical embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bending machine showing a pipe in position preliminary to bending.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of parts shown in'Fig. 1, showing the bending apparatus in pipe holding and gripplng position.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the parts shown in F ig. 3 with the pipe partly bent.

The machine shown consists essentially of a bed 1 supported on legs 2 and carrying the bending apparatus. This bending apparatus consists of .a bending die or roll 3 around which the pipe is bent, and bending means comprising keeper t and follower shoe 4* which causes the pipe to conform to the periphery of die 3.

The die 3 is carried on a shaft 5 extending vertically above the bed, and is driven thereby to carry the pipe around its periphery to cause the bend. Keeper 4 is carried on a vertical shaft 6 and is free to rotate thereon. The follower shoe consists of a bar or rod having a concave face conforming to the surface of the pipe and is inserted between the pipe and keeper to distribute the pressure of the latter over the former and thus prevent flattening or crushing of the pipe. The shaft 6 is supported on a cross-head 7 mounted on the upper surface of the bed and reciprocable toward and away from the shaft 5. The motion of the cros head along the bed is caused by the rotation of shaft 8' which motion is transmitted to the cross-head through toggle members 9. Shaft 8 may be operated in any desired man ner and is shown in the drawings as controlled by fluid pressure by having a crank arm moved by a piston in cylinder 15.

The means for gripping the pipe and so carrying it with the die comprises a clamp consisting of a small roller 10 carried on an arm 11 fastened on the die. The peripheral faces of the die and roller are concave to receive the pipe therebetween, and the radial distance between these concave faces is some what greater than the outside diameter of the pipe. When the roller is sufficiently advanced to clear keeper 4, the projected dis tance between the concave faces in the plane of shaft!) and 8 is slightly less than the diameter of the pipe.

From Figs. 1 and 3 it will be seen that the pipe may be inserted between the die and roller without any pressure being imposed thereon by being inserted as shown in Fig. 1 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the line between centers of the die and roller. However, any rotation of the bending die in the direction of the arrow, or rotation of the pipe from the position shown in Fig. 1 toward that shown in Fig. 3 will cause the roller 10 to press upon the pipe at a point opposite and in advance of that engaged by the die. This will tend to swing the pipe about the die to keep it always tangent thereto at the point 12 and as this swing is resisted by the follower shoe and keeper 4, the pressure at points 12 and 13 will be greatly increased so that the die and clamping roller will tightly grip the pipe between them, thus causing it to be drawn around the die as this is rotated by the driving mechanism of the apparatus,

Due tothe gripping action of the clampmg roller in rotating, it is unnecessary to provide any adgustable clamping means to 'hold the pipe to the die and this facilitates the insertion of the pipe in the apparatus and its removal therefrom. Moreover, the roller is free to rotate on the arm 11 and has no sharp or rough edges. It, therefore, distributes its pressure over a fairly large area of pipe and does not bite into nor flatten any part of the pipe as has been the case with some prior clamping means.

The operation of the device is as follows: At the start of the bending operation the pipe is placed in the position shown in Fig. 1, the cross-head being moved from the bending roll and the clamping means being slightly in advance of the line between the die and roller angularly as shown in Fig. 1. The follower shoe is placed between the pipe and keeper and fluid pressure admitted to cylinder to advance the cross-head and keeper. This swings the pipe from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 3, causing it to be tightly gripped by the die and roller. Next a clutch between shaft 5 and power shaft 14 is engaged to rotate shaft 5. The

follower shoe and keeper maintain suflicient pressure upon the pipe to bend the same.

. Shaft 5 rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5 and this rotation causes the pipe to or die, means for rotating said roll or die and a gripping roller carried by said roll or die.

2. In a pipe bending machine, a bending roll carrying pipe clamping means comprising a roller beyondthe periphery of said bendingroll and in alignment therewith, a

follower shoe movable toward said roll, and means for rotating said roll.

3. A pipe bendiifi. machine comprising a bending roll, a pipe clamping roller carried by said roll,-a follower shoe movable toward said roll and means for relatively rotating said roll and shoe.

4. A pipe bending machine comprising a. bed, a vertical shaft extending therefrom and carrying a pipe bending roll, a clamping roller rotatable about an axis fixed with respect to said bending roll, a cross-head slidable upon said bed toward said shaft and carrying a follower shoe, means for rotating said shaft, and means for sliding said cross-head.

5. A pipe bending machine comprising a bending roll, a ipe gripping roller carried by said roll, the distance between said roll and roller being slightly greater than the dim eter of the pipe, and a follower shoe movable toward the roll to hold the pipe against the surface thereof.

6. A pipe bending machine comprising a,

bending roll, and a pipe gripper which con sists of a roller carried by the said roll and positioned to permit the insertion of a pipe between the peripheries of the roll and roller, said roller being rotatable about an axis fixed with respect to said roll.

7. A pipe bending machine comprising a bed having two shafts extending therefrom, driving mechanism for said shafts, a bending roll keyed to one of said shafts, a toggle operated by the other shaft, a cross-head carrying a follower shoe and slidable toward and away from the bending roll by said toggle, and a clamping roller engaging the pipe and carried by said bending roll.

8. An apparatus of the character described comprising a rotatable bending roll, a rotatable clamplng roller revoluble therewith and a slidable follower movable toward and from the roll.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 14th day of May, 1926.

' HARRY E. HARVEY. 

